


Ghost!Regulus

by LadyHallen



Series: Tumblr HP [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Female Harry, Gen, Regulus is a Ghost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 11:22:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10017866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyHallen/pseuds/LadyHallen
Summary: Harry gets surprised by a ghost in Grimmauld Place





	

“Is that a nice book?”

Harry restrained herself from screaming,  _loudly_. She was in Grimmauld Place and supposed to be  _alone._

 _“_ Who - “ she started before cutting herself off. “Wait, Sirius never told me there were ghosts here.”

Because the boy-man who’d interrupted her had the look of a ghost, like those in Hogwarts. Transparent and glowing slightly off-white. His features were solid enough that she could just see how handsome he would be, had he been alive.

“I don’t think he knew,” the man said, voice melodious and soft. He spoke like he was afraid that she would bolt away and run. Harry really wanted to, but she recognized the look in his eyes. This ghost was lonely and just wanted conversation.

Thank Merlin his only sign of death was how... _wet_ he looked. She didn’t think she could stand seeing blood stains.

“You didn’t show yourself?” she asked tentatively.

He shrugged. “I did not want to. He had enough grief to bury him under. To add me to the mix...would make for a very volatile Sirius.”

It was the way he said her godfather’s name, caressing the syllables just so and the gentle look on his face that made her connect the dots. 

This was Regulus Black, Sirius’s little brother. The one who apparently died in Voldemort’s service.

“You’re Regulus Black,” she blurted out before she could think too hard about it.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m surprised you know my name.”

She wanted to hit him. That guilty, depressed look on his face appeared easily enough that she knew it was probably his default expression when he was still alive. 

“He told me about you,” she snapped. “How could you not show your face, even if it is a ghostly one? He loved you very much.”

His expression shifted to a cynical one. It wasn’t any better than the previously guilty look. His face was better suited to smiling. Like Sirius’s was better suited to laughing.

“I don’t think he did,” he said, more to himself than to her. “He always did love Potter more than me. I was no longer his brother by the time I was in Fifth Year.”

Ooooh, self-pity. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Harry stood up and poked Regulus in his ghostly chest. The ghost drifted backwards in surprise.

 “You never really hate family, you idiot. My cousins family were all beached whales but I can’t really hate them. Dislike is the best I could do,” she ranted. “And you’re Sirius’s  _brother_. Even if you’re just a ghost, you’re the imprint of his last wishes.”

Regulus smiled then. “You’ve got Evan’s temper on you, little Potter.”

“Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

The topic of how Regulus died eventually cropped up. Like, when Kreacher saw his master and started sobbing on his spectral robes. Harry didn’t even know the bitter house-elf could cry, let alone give out such a high-pitched shriek. 

But it solidified the idea. Ever since his death, Regulus Black didn’t show himself to people. Nearly Headless Nick had told her that it was a ghosts prerogative whether to let their loved ones know they were there or not.

Often enough, the ghosts didn’t show up for their loved ones. 

Most ghosts stayed for revenge, like Moaning Myrtle.

“Why did you stay behind?” she asked him after Kreacher had ran off to wipe his wrinkly old face.

He gave her a look. “Surely you know? I  _really_ wanted to see that bastard’s face when he saw the fake locket. Sadly, it was Dumbledore who figured it out first.”

She hated that Regulus was a ghost. Because she really wanted to hit him. Dumbledore  _died_  because of that locket.

“Vindictiveness,” she muttered. “Peachy. At least it isn’t for some petty reason like Myrtles.”

Now, Harry thought when Kreacher came back with a shining, happy face. I just have to get used to the idea of  _living_ with a ghost. A ghost who was raised a pureblood and let out an indignant shriek of horror when he finally saw what she was wearing.

“Are you wearing tartan? And what on Merlin’s name have you done to your nails? Did you bite them?” he started to rant.

Harry really  _really_ wanted to hit him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also available at [tumblr](http://ladyhallen.tumblr.com) for any worldbuilding questions and prompts.


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